Ostriches are the largest, flightless
living species of birds that are found in Africa. They weigh between 63
and 145 kilogrammes and are 6 – 9 feet tall. When exposed to danger, the
ostrich usually escapes by burying its head under the sand while
exposing its huge body. This is called the ostrich game because the bird
is notorious for disingenuously ignoring the obvious. Those who play
the ostrich refuse to face painful facts and unpleasant truths.
If media reports in recent weeks are
anything to go by, the same could be said about the attitude of
President Goodluck Jonathan and his rumoured bid to re-contest his
position in 2015. Otherwise, how else will we describe the statement
credited to his spokesperson, Dr. Reuben Abati, asking Nigerians not to
distract the President with 2015 elections? In Abati’s words, “President
Jonathan’s wish to be left alone to focus on delivering on his promise
of good governance and national transformation without unnecessary
distractions must be respected.” The Egba-born trained comic artist
turned journalist further dismissed the rumours of the President’s 2015
election bid as the handiwork of “political jobbers and their
collaborators heating up the polity with baseless and falsehoods
revolving around imaginary plans and schemes”.
Continue reading after the cut...
However, can Abati’s words be trusted?
He has consistently denied that his boss may be seeking re-election in
2015. But, how can we explain why President Jonathan is submerged in
politicking even when several aspects of his political promises still
remain in the pipeline? For example, Jonathan has been shifting the goal
post in the power sector almost endlessly. He has neither begun the
second Niger Bridge nor built the coastal road in the Niger Delta.
Instead of fighting corruption the way he promised during his
inauguration, he is rather superintending over distributional politics.
Available reports indicate that corruption has grown in leaps and bounds
under the present administration. The US Secretary of State, John
Kerry, last week submitted a new report entitled, “Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices for 2012″ to the US Congress which indicated that
Nigeria was found to be steeped in “massive, widespread and pervasive
corruption” in “all levels of government and the security forces.”
To many Nigerians, the President has
displayed outlandish hypocrisy that will make it almost impossible for
anyone to trust him again. But practically, he seems to have unleashed
his men to do everything and anything that will improve the chances of
their principal’s objective which is to clinch the most coveted position
again come 2015. As a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it is
the constitutional right of the President to vie for another term in
office. Never mind that some quarters believe that he allegedly admitted
to serving one term. That is at best a circumstantial political stunt
which is neither here nor there. But, what many people are worried about
are the tactics that he is deploying.
One of these deplorable tactics can be
seen in his interference in the Nigerian Governors’ Forum. In the
absence of a viable opposition and constructive dissent, the NGF is seen
by many observers to have provided Nigerians with an alternative
platform to debate national issues. Instead of stampeding the governors
into “selecting” a leader on their behalf, Jonathan and his strategists
should seek an NGF that is more open to the views and aspirations of the
Nigerian people. He needs an objective channel to feel the pulse of
the people. Deliberate efforts must be made beyond tokenistic
“facebooking” and “twittering” to get feedback of his policies on the
Nigerian people. That is the direction the President and his loyalists
should invest their energies and not hassle to intrude into the right of
free association of the governors. A viable NGF with a majority
membership drawn from the ruling party is an added value to the Peoples
Democratic Party and by implication Jonathan himself. Frankly, the fact
that he convened a meeting last week, to push for a leadership change
at the NGF, exposed his political apprehension and ostensibly heightened
the suspicion even among the governors allegedly loyal to him.
One other blunder comes from the alleged
interference of the Presidency in the affairs of the Rivers State
Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party. Since the controversial ruling
that ousted the executive members of the state chapter and installed
another, fingers have been pointing at the Presidency. Although some of
these remain at the level of speculations, such “rumours” are very
unhealthy for a President who is posturing that he is not yet thinking
about 2015. The hasty inauguration of the new executive by the national
secretariat makes many observers tilt to the suspicion that it was in
obedience to the orders from the “Oga at the top”. Since the
controversy erupted, the President’s minders and spokespersons have
remained quiet, allowing Nigerians to rightly or wrongly speculate that
such judicial banditry might have been part of a rehashed vindictive
agenda, directed to whittle down the state governor’s influence at home.
One will think that President Jonathan currently should enjoy some
goodwill in Rivers State. Such goodwill could diminish if he (or his
proxy) is seen to be meddling unnecessarily in avoidable political
battles.
Which brings us to the question, how can
the Presidency be living in denial? What are they afraid of? What are
the achievements that this government can point to, that will make
anyone vote for them again, peradventure the President puts himself
forward for reelection? Are we going to rely on the sentiments of power
shifting to the goose that lays the golden egg? Has that tale not become
old-fashioned and obsolete? Is it feasible to continue to depend on
the marginal support that comes from dispensing patronage to political
entrepreneurs with a long history of subverting the will of the people?
Can the Presidency sustain the current onslaught of harassing and
hounding any person with contrary views until all Nigerians are
instilled with fear? How long will Nigeria survive under the current
democratic authoritarianism? The late Prof Clauke Ake eloquently
described this as democracy without choosing.
Someone should tell the President that
Nigerians have become wiser, or so it appears in the last three years.
He may be the one distracting himself by chasing shadows. Whenever and
if ever he makes up his mind, he should be told that what Nigerians want
to see are new jobs created, improvement in their security, stability
in the power supply, expansion in their infrastructure and enhancement
of their livelihood. Our young people want assurances of a secure future
through visionary and incremental development, not just promises.
With the advent of information
technology, we now know the amount of money being siphoned away through
corruption and many of us know the opportunity cost in terms of
development impact. It is imperative President Jonathan now owns up to
his 2015 ambition. It is his constitutional right to do so. He should
push his programmes aggressively to ensure that there can be concrete
deliverables from his 2011 electoral promises. He should sharpen his
radar and break away from the walls erected around him by the real
political jobbers and connect to the people who elected him in 2011. He
must realise that he has become so unpopular even among politicians that
he must be ready to make innovative compromises and incorporate those
who will bring mileage to his rumoured ambition. He no longer has the
luxury of time. In 2015, performance will count, not luck. Playing an
ostrich game with his ambition at this time is strictly UNPRESIDENTIAL!
-Uche Igwe (ucheigwe@gmail.com)
Share your thoughts...thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment